THR Waddle

SuzHelga

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Right after the surgery and PT I was doing great. Probably too great. I’m thinking I’ve done more than I should because now I’m experiencing pain in my upper thigh when I walk . I had no pain previously. Is this normal? After resting the pain is gone up til I start walking. My concern is I’ve done something irreparable to the hip. I haven’t called the doc yet but I will call in the a.m.
 
Hi @SuzHelga and welcome! Have a read around the recovery board-- you'll see that many have had your experience! For me, this kind of "new" pain happened when I did more (read, too much!) of something I could already do, or, tried something new and it didn't hurt at the time, rather paid me back later.
My specific experience like yours happened at 4 months-- I had been managing stairs at church (the big flights between floors) well, and felt good about stairs, although we had none at home. Went on vacation, drove all day -- the longest yet I had sat-- and when we arrived, I tripped (well, walked happily) eagerly up two 16-step flights. At the top of the second one I knew I'd (again!!) joined the Overdid It Club (ODIC...). I spent the next several months depressingly able to walk only a mile in a day, kicking myself for being so cocky. I had thigh and flexor pain.

I had had a good 2-week xray, so I was confident that it was all soft tissue. My gut feeling is that if we did something horrible, it would be screaming pain.

All my experiences with various pains in hip#1 gave me a great deal of confidence that I could pretty much ignore pains that sprang out of seemingly nowhere with #2. It worked!
 
@SuzHelga
Welcome to BoneSmart, glad you joined us! :welome:

I’m thinking I’ve done more than I should because now I’m experiencing pain in my upper thigh when I walk .
Most likely you have done too much, and your thigh is sore. At two months you are still early in recovery, when you over do it your hip/thigh will let you know.
Take it easy for a few days, ice, and elevate, and you should start feeling better.

Please post your surgery date, a moderator will add it to your signature for you. Having the exact date will help us properly advise you. Thanks!

Here is your copy of the Hip Recovery Guidelines, the articles are short and will not take long to read.

Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

6. Access these pages on the website


Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery

Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.
 
Thanks. I kind of figured I had been over zealous with my activities. I’m in the recliner now, head hung low, with ice on my hip.
I’m pretty active ,but I’ll rethink bungee jumping and hiking Everest this year. Lol
 
My surgery was May 29, 2020. I was up and walking the hallways 5 hours after surgery. No pain. Very little pain meds. I think I took 2 pills (opioids) the whole time. I then took Tylenol if I needed it. PT was great I did very well. I think I became very cocky as a result. I’m now rethinking my cockiness. I’ve found ice to be my best friend right now. Achy more than the intense pain pre-surgery. I’ll survive I just have to be much more patient ...I’ve learned my lesson. (I hope...)
 
Thanks for posting your surgery date, which hip was operated?

Patience is in short supply for most of us after joint replacement, well worth it to take it easy while you heal for your long term outcome, and short term comfort.

:elevate: for now, so later you can :fasthorse::hiking::surfer::tennis::walking::bicycle1:
 
I seem to have developed a bit of a waddle since I did too much and am now paying for it. I’m resting my hip and not doing things (like chain sawing tree limbs and pulling brush out of tangled messes) I’ve learned to be more careful. I’m back to using my cane to also give the hip some relief. It’s not pain per se but more like an ache that goes away when I rest. Is this the best I can hope for?
 
Well...I can tell you that I can get both of mine to hurting depending on how much I abuse them. It's all soft tissue but it does ache and get stiff in the AM.
 
How long has it been since your surgery?
 
2 1/2 years on left 9 mos on right. I don't limp or have any limitations but each side is different as to where it gets sore or what can cause it. I really did the trick with my left at about 3 mos with working on a ladder and doing what you did with chainsaw and brush. I can walk miles with no pain or problems and I sleep through the night with no problems. It's the work and awkward positions that really strain the muscles. One thing about my deal is I had limited range of motion for all of my life. I'm sure the muscles are not thrilled with this new found movement that the replacement hip has compared to my bad hips.
 
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I did too much and am now paying for it
You are less than a year out in this yearlong+ recovery. When you do too much for your new hip, it will let you know as it has after your recent activity.

Think about doing half of what you think you can do until you are fully healed.

You are doing the right thing using your cane to support your new hip while it is recovering from all the chainsawing and bushwacking.
 
@SuzHelga
You'll notice that I have merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread. For several reasons, we prefer that you only have one recovery thread:
  • That way, we have all your information in one place. This makes it easier to go back and review your history before providing advice.
  • If you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts and advice others have left for you in the old threads, and some information may be unnecessarily repeated
  • Having only one thread will act as a diary of your progress that you can look back on.
So please post any updates, questions or concerns about your recovery here. If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.

Many members bookmark their thread in their computer browser, so they can find it when they log on.
 
resting my hip and not doing things (like chain sawing tree limbs and pulling brush out of tangled messes)

You’re funny! If this is resting, I fear seeing you in action. I’m imagining bending and twisting was involved? It seems lesson learned, so that’s a good thing!

Is this the best I can hope for?

No, it’s not the best you can hope for. Recovery can take a full year, even longer for some. But please take it slow and easy, there is still a lot of internal healing going on. If you give your hip the time it needs to heal, you should be golden. :yes:
PS It’s not too late to ice either when you’re dealing with pain or discomfort.

Have a wonderful weekend! :wave:
 
Happy Three Month Anniversary!
Hopefully you’re doing well. Please leave an update as time allows. We’d love to hear from you. Have a wonderful day and week!
@SuzHelga
 
:hi: Happy Four Month Anniversary!
How are you doing? We would love to read about your progress if you have time to share an update here. Hope all is well.
Happy Autumn!
@SuzHelga
 

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